1979. Every teen in my neighborhood was talking about the movie "When A Stranger Calls". Including my sister's extremely annoying friend, 'Vicki'. She had just gotten a babysitting job, and was bragging about how nothing scared her.
That night, as a storm rolled into the city, I called the house that Vicki was babysitting at and whispered "Have you checked the children?". All I heard was "recluse, you're an..." right before the lights went out. Then I heard a scream, followed by dead air. Naturally, I was concerned. So I grabbed a flashlight and went to the house, where I found the front door wide open, the kids in bed, but no Vicki! Being a decent guy, I watched over the children until their parents arrived. I learned then that the entire city was blacked out. I came up with a quick B.S. story to explain Vicki's absence, got paid, and went home. I found out the next day that Vicki ran straight home and locked herself in her room. She never spoke to me again.
I think about her sometimes, on dark and stormy nights.
She's got kids now.
Maybe I'll give her a call.
Just wanted to share.

Location: The Olympic Peninsula on the OTHER Washington! (the big green clean one on the west coast!)

Device: Kindle, the original! Times Two! and gifting an International Kindle

did you really? that's awesome!

you know I was thinking the other day that today's kids are missing out on an entire part of fun because of today's telecommunications advances. no more annonymous queries about prince albert in a can, running refrigerators and so on. no more angtsy hot and sweaty crank calls. poor kids!

recluse does not babysit, as per his own request.
I would never allow harm to come to a child.
I prefer not to be around them.
The children in my story were asleep the entire time I was there.
I suspect sedation. They were 8, 6, and 5 at the time.

For about three years, I would pick up my nephews from daycare once a week and spend the day with them.
Every time, I woke up the next day sick with something.
Just another reason why I don't babysit.
And why I refer to some children as "Creeplets".

...today's kids are missing out on an entire part of fun because of today's telecommunications advances. no more annonymous queries about prince albert in a can, running refrigerators and so on.

I called a department store once and asked if they had prince albert in a can, the guy that answered said "We sure do, but we let him out every night." To which I mumbled something about that being good and hung up in.

I called a department store once and asked if they had prince albert in a can, the guy that answered said "We sure do, but we let him out every night." To which I mumbled something about that being good and hung up in.

Could somebody please explain the Prince Albert in a can thing for a confused Brit?